Adjustable sign



\ June 2,1959 w.- J. ROYCROFT, JR 2,888,763

' ADJUSTABLE SIGN Filed May 5, 1957 INVENTOR.

W/L LIAM J POYKPOF'Z'JIQ.

This invention relates generally to improvements in signs and mountings therefor. The invention, summarized briefly, is a sign which most usually, but not necessarily, is mounted on a vehicle; will be generally, but again not necessarily, mounted on the roof when used on a vehicle; and will be quickly adjustable between, and lockable in each of, opposite extreme positions in one of which it is in use and can be read and in the other of which it is inoperatively located and cannot be readily observed.

Among important objects of the invention are the following:

To provide a novel locking means for holding the sign in its respective position;

To provide a sign assembly that can be pro-assembled and swiftly mounted on any conventional vehicle;

To incorporate in the sign means whereby the disengagement of the sign from its locking means will be effected by a light pressure on one end of the sign, with the sign automatically locking in each position by release of said pressure.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a vehicle illustrating the sign in operative position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the sign in which portions have been broken away;

Figure 3 is a still further enlarged substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2, portions being broken away;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view on the same cutting plane as Figure 3 showing the lock disengaged; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse section on line 5-5 of Figure 2, the sign being shown in full and dotted lines in its operative and inoperative positions respectively.

Referring to the drawing in detail, mounted on the roof of a vehicle is the sign 12, including an elongated shaft 14 on which is rotatable a sleeve 16 to which are welded or otherwise afiixed radial legs 18 secured at their outer ends to the inner longitudinal edge of a sign plate 20 extending parallel to sleeve 16 in a plane that lies radially of the sleeve.

Shaft 14 has it ends projecting out of the sleeve. Underlying said ends are arcuately upwardly bowed support strips 22 lying in vertical planes perpendicular to the length of shaft 14. Flattened, outwardly projecting ends of the strips are in a common horizontal plane and are secured to rubber suction cups 24 engaged with the surface of the vehicle roof. Hold-down or anchoring straps 26 are attached to and extend laterally outwardly, downwardly from the mid-length portions of strip 22. Straps 26 are adjustable in length and have hooks at their outer ends engaging the drip strips extending along the sides of the vehicle. The shaft ends are fixedly secured to the strips 22 by rivets or bolts 27.

. atnt At one end sleeve 16 has an outwardly directed flange 28 abutting one end of a compression spring 30 coiled about shaft 14. The spring at its other end abuts a collar 32 formed on the shaft.

Angularly spaced about or a little more apart on the other end of sleeve 16, and affixed to the sleeve, are latching loops 34, 36 opening toward a latching finger 38 formed on an arcuate bar 40 rigid with shaft 14. When the sign plate 20 is upright in its use position (see the full line position of Figure 5) the finger engages in loop 34. When the sign plate is rotated slightly more than 90 in one direction, the finger engages in loop 36.

In use, the spring 30 biases sleeve 16 axially to the right in Figure 2 to engage loop 34 or 36, as the case may be, with finger 38. To change the sign position, one pushes the sleeve to the left in Figures 3 and 4, disengaging the same from the finger (see Figure 4) and rotates the sleeve to its new position. On release of the sleeve in its new position, the spring will expand to again engage the finger in a latching loop.

It is believed clear that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

For use with a vehicle top, a display structure comprising a shaft having opposing ends, supporting elements fixed to said shaft adjacent its ends and depending therefrom, means carried by the supporting elements for securing them to the top of a vehicle with the shaft arranged parallel to and spaced above the vehicle top, a sleeve freely circumposed on the shaft and extending between the supporting elements, said sleeve having opposing ends, one of said ends being enlarged radially, a stop fixed on the shaft and confronting the enlarged end, a spring coiled on the shaft and bearing between the enlarged end and the stop to urge the sleeve axially toward its other end, a pair of keeper elements provided on the other end of the sleeve and projecting radially therefrom and spaced substantially ninety degrees apart circumferentially of the sleeve, said keeper elements having outwardly facing slots, a latch finger fixed on the shaft and being disposed axially thereof and facing inwardly in spaced relation to the shaft at a distance at least greater than the radial thickness of the sleeve so as to engage in the slots in the keeper elements, a sign fixed on the sleeve and extending radially therefrom parallel with the shaft and disposed in line with one of the keeper elements, said sign being held in a position perpendicular to the vehicle top when one of the keeper element is engaged with the latch finger and the sign being held in a position substantially parallel with the vehicle top when the other keeper element is engaged with the latch finger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 575,711 Haley Ian. 26, 1897 1,460,520 Wark July 3, 1923 1,590,562 Blonigen June 29, 1926 

